Twice a year, ARRL offers an event designed to promote amateur radio to youth. On ARRL Kids Day, which will be held this year on January 6, 2024, you can share the excitement with your own kids, grandkids, a Scout troop, a church, or the general public!

ARRL Kids Day is designed to give on-the-air experience to young people and to foster interest in getting a license of their own..  

It is also intended to give older hams a chance to share their station and love for amateur radio with their children.  

ARRL Kids Day always runs from 1800 UTC through 2359 UTC. Operate as much or as little as you like.  

Here are some suggested bands and frequencies:

• 10 Meters: 28.350 to 28.400 MHz
• 12 Meters: 24.960 to 24.980 MHz
• 15 Meters: 21.360 to 21.400 MHz
• 17 Meters: 18.140 to 18.145 MHz
• 20 Meters: 14.270 to 14.300 MHz
• 40 Meters: 7.270 to 7.290 MHz
• 80 Meters: 3.740 to 3.940 MHz

You can also use your favorite local repeater, with permission from the repeater's sponsor.  

Be sure to observe third-party restrictions when making DX contacts.  

All participants are eligible to receive a colorful certificate.

You can download this certificate and complete it with the participant's name and the date of the contact.  

Alternatively, you can send a 9" x 12" self-addressed stamped envelope to the following address:  

Kids Day Certificate Request

ARRL

225 Main Street

Newington, CT 06111  

All participants are encouraged to post their story and thumbnail photos to the Kids Day Soapbox page.

Tell the world about your operations, the fun you had, and the contacts you made!  

Readers of QST and other ARRL publications love to see hams having fun, and youths are our future! Please send us your high-resolution (500 KB - 3 MB) photos of youth in action, whether they're operating, setting up antennas, or having fun. You can send them (email preferred) to [email protected], or you can mail files or printed photos to ARRL Headquarters at 225 Main St, Newington, Connecticut (see the full mailing address above).  

We must have a completed release form in order to include youth photos (younger than 18 years of age) in ARRL publications.  

The second ARRL Kids Day of the year will be on Saturday, June 15, 2024.